Tuning Them Out
 

I'm watching the end of a tournament game, standing next to a member of the local media. A few of the losing team's fans are still riding the officials, saying things that only expose their stupidity.

The guy next to me looks their way, grins, shakes his head, and says to me, "How DO you tune them out?"

I gave him my answer. Let's hear yours. I may just send him a link to this thread.

Not sure I tune them out, per se, but I do find myself chuckling to myself when I hear them say something stupid.

I remind myself how ignorant they are, having never read a rule book, gaining their rules knowledge from the talking heads on TV.

1) I try to estimate what score the complainer would get on the NFHS rules test. Usually, the number is somewhere in the teens or low 20s.

2) I tell myself "They're not yelling at me, they're yelling at my shirt"

I secretly get great pleasure in knowing that me ignoring them is probably riling them up even more.

(Just kidding, I only feel that way for a couple of coaches in the area. :D )

If he had asked me that, I would have replied, "I'm sorry. Did you say something?" :rolleyes:

I had one of these situations this week...funny thing is, the two claims being yelled by from the stands were contradictory....

Fast break, trailing defender. Shooter floats the shot up softly leaving the defender time to get to it. About the time the defender is getting to the ball, he crushes the shooter in front of him (heavy body contact...so much it slammed the shooter into the nearby wall such that he didn't get up for a couple of minutes) and blocks the shot off the board (not that it matters in under NFHS but it was before the ball hit the board).

From the stands, I hear
"intentional, intentional, he had two hands in his back".
and
"goaltending, count it, he hit it off the board".

I'm still trying to figure out where the defender's third arm came from to be able to block a shot off the backboard AND, at the same time, shove the shooter in the back with two hands.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know ...
 

Do they have to be contradictory? What if you had a real intentional foul followed by a real goaltending call?

Some idiot yelled at the crew I was hosting at a recent district game to watch the tape of a call that was missed after the game as the crew was leaving the court. The guy always turns into an idiot as soon as the ball is tossed. Every game. Without exception. (He has been ejected before). One guy on the crew, once we were out of sight, said, "I will be sure to watch THAT tape." BTW, a running clock and a final score of 84-37.

The best way I can say it is I have no concern with people that do not have anything to do with how I got my job and how I keep it. Fans are absolutely not in any part of that equation.

Peace

I take satisfaction in knowing no matter how much a coach or fan yells they can't get in the way of me enjoying being a part of the game I love. I enjoy being put there no matter how helpful those off the court are.

If they get more irritated that no matter how hard they yell they can't get the smile off my face so be it.

For me, it's simply focus.

When I played ball, I never heard the crowd unless I was on the bench. I was tuned into my team and coach.

As an official, it's the same. I am tuned into my partners and the players to an extent. Unless it's a quiet gym ( rare ). I don't hear the crowd at all. During specific times in the game, I will focus on different things, like the coach when I think he will be looking for a TO and such.

I have had partners come to me and say " did you hear that guy in the 3rd row with the blue shirt on?" I didn't, but he knew exactly where the guy was.

Oh Yeah, I'm Really Focused ...
 

"Did you see that hot, single, Mom, in the 3rd row with the blue skirt on?".

Yes, I certaily did.

It is a good thing they are not mindreaders, or I might as well be wearing a sandwich board that says, "You're a moron." When I hear any comments, that is.

I'll admit, I hear em, I just ignore em. Every now and then I'll chuckle or bight my whistle, but, I just let it go.......